Plaque Has Name of MLK's Killer/MSNBC Apologizes for THEIR Misspelling

[CrimsonTide4]

Originally posted by ChaosDST
Simmer down, soror, the rolling eyes and so forth lead me to think that you're getting a little too amped for this to just be a Greekchat discussion . What you're talking about is not what the original scenario was. There's a complete difference between someone saying "hey nigger" and someone putting James Earl Ray or Inis Nigger. There is no way possible that saying "hey Nigger" can be misconstrued as anything more than a racial slur intended to insult and offend. The individual saying "hey Nigger" is being very deliberate, it isn't a mistake---unless this person is completely ignorant and unaware that this is offensive. However, you can not prove that the James Earl Ray and the Inis Nigger incidents were intentional. The question was NEVER whether these incidents were insulting...the question was whether they were racist (check the previous posts). Until someone can prove that they were intentional, this thread is based on pure speculation. I am just saying that we should not always jump to conclusions and get all excited until we know the whole story. None of us know it quite yet and are debating for the sake of debating. Again, the Auburn incident is another completely different scenario because, again, that was even MORE deliberate than saying "hey nigger."

Apparently this thread was intended as a venting tool and almost everyone assumed that all black people thought this was a racist incident--or every black person that replied would share in the outrage. Well, there are quite a few black skeptics out here who find these incidents insulting, but aren't quite ready to pull those racism cards out of our back pockets yet.

BTW, we do all know that racist and insulting aren't the same thing, right???

You're right there is a DEFINITE difference of opinion. I was not, nor am I now, "Amped" about this discussion. Using smilies or eye rolling smilie does not signify as such.

I am on to the "Agree to Disagree" aspect.

[ChaosDST]

Good.

Originally posted by CrimsonTide4



You're right there is a DEFINITE difference of opinion. I was not, nor am I now, "Amped" about this discussion. Using smilies or eye rolling smilie does not signify as such.

I am on to the "Agree to Disagree" aspect.

[Salience]

Originally posted by ChaosDST
Soror,

According to the Sociology of Racism, in order for something to be determined as racist, we would have to know the thoughts and intentions behind it. NIGGER is a well known racial slur, but it's use does not entail racism or that one is a racist. Racism is very intentional, so since we can't determine whether or not the mistake was intentional, we can not assume that it was racist. There's the difference, which is why we can not cry racism at every offense. It voids the argument and can dimmenish our credibility.

Hear, hear!

I know I have mistaken famous names before, it happens. I think people are vilifying the situation because it was Ray's name, in particular. But I don't see how someone would get off (pardon my term) on calling an old black man by an dead white man's name. What was that supposed to do? Insult James Earl Jones? He already said he wasn't pressed. If a mistake is made, correct it.

And what was Jones even being honored for?

But using Latinos as scapegoats was xenophobic.

[tickledpink]

Originally posted by Salience



But using Latinos as scapegoats was xenophobic.

That was shady and stereotypical. That's why I thought that was a set up from the word go. If, again the word IF is stressed, he was the one who really printed it.... & if he wasn't familiar with James Earl Ray, I feel like someone fed him the name - knowing he wouldn't have known who it was, then sat back and watched the sparks fly.

Let's not be fooled. People are more hateful & vindictive than we may care to believe. I see it happen everyday. I don't know what to think about the Nigger vs. Niger thing. Now, that has a greater potential for being a typo.... I've seen some God-awful typos on CNN updates before. It IS a bit disturbing that with a name so close to being a racial slur, they didn't check that more carefully. That's one of those things that make you go ... hmmmmmmm....

[ChaosDST]

I agree. Also, I don't know what Jones was being honored for...can anyone tell us?

Originally posted by Salience

Hear, hear!

I know I have mistaken famous names before, it happens. I think people are vilifying the situation because it was Ray's name, in particular. But I don't see how someone would get off (pardon my term) on calling an old black man by an dead white man's name. What was that supposed to do? Insult James Earl Jones? He already said he wasn't pressed. If a mistake is made, correct it.

And what was Jones even being honored for?

But using Latinos as scapegoats was xenophobic.

[ChaosDST]

Yeah, the failure to proofread can be a muhfuhKKKa. I have seen typos of all sorts in major publications and all sorts of places where you'd think people would double check. Whether they were errors or not, I think (and I hope) folks have learned their lesson with both incidents.

Originally posted by tickledpink


That was shady and stereotypical. That's why I thought that was a set up from the word go. If, again the word IF is stressed, he was the one who really printed it.... & if he wasn't familiar with James Earl Ray, I feel like someone fed him the name - knowing he wouldn't have known who it was, then sat back and watched the sparks fly.

Let's not be fooled. People are more hateful & vindictive than we may care to believe. I see it happen everyday. I don't know what to think about the Nigger vs. Niger thing. Now, that has a greater potential for being a typo.... I've seen some God-awful typos on CNN updates before. It IS a bit disturbing that with a name so close to being a racial slur, they didn't check that more carefully. That's one of those things that make you go ... hmmmmmmm....